


Better Get a Thank You

by Hungry_AloeLeaf



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Alternate Events AU, Ashfoot wants to patrol, Brambleclaw is concerned, Breezepelt is complain-y, Brotherly Bonding, Hollyleaf is concerned, Lionblaze is concerned, Protectiveness, are these two chapters basically the same thing?... maybe, sorry for being bad at tiltes summaries and writing in general, the one where Lion karate chops Ashfur perfectly in half, they don't know that they are brothers here, yes i know the summary isn't good but I might edit it later, you know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:35:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26650774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hungry_AloeLeaf/pseuds/Hungry_AloeLeaf
Summary: As Lionblaze finds his place in Thunderclan, there are plenty of little adventures he always manages to wind up in.In the AU where Lion gets Ashfur instead of Holly because that makes a little more sense to me
Relationships: Brambleclaw & Lionblaze (Warriors), Breezepelt & Lionblaze (Warriors), Cinderheart/Lionblaze (Warriors), Hollyleaf & Lionblaze (Warriors), Lionblaze & Nightcloud (Warriors)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	1. Okay?

“I hate this forest, I hate being wet, I hate that stupid, sludgy-as-foxdung river…”

Lionblaze could only roll his eyes as they trekked on, paws sliding on the slimy foliage beneath them. Seriously, the tom had been complaining for practically moons. He’s lucky the golden tabby got there in time to save him from the swimming (more so drowning) exercise by impressively tackling Brokenstar away. The red sky gives enough dim light for Lionblaze to somewhat see the ropes of black, clingy plant matter weighing down Breezepelt’s fur.

“You could be thanking me.” Gently, the tabby nudges the smaller tom. “Your Clanmates might have found you dead in your nest if nobody stepped in to stop Brokenstar from shoving you under there like that.”

“I owe you nothing,” A piece of long, slimy plant flings itself onto Lionblaze’s shoulder. “Ugh, this stuff stinks like foxdung too… I almost drank that whole river while he was holding me under there…”

“You couldn’t hold your breath?” As he continues to walk, the strip gradually slides down his thick pelt, leaving behind a revolting slimy substance.

“How long,” The amber gaze scorches the Thunderclan tom dryly. “Do you think I can do that?”

Cluelessly, Lionblaze shrugs.

“He held me under there for thousands of heartbeats, you golden puffball!”

“Hey now, that’s not my fault,” Lionblaze’s sun-colored eyes bore into the soggy tom. “You wanted to do the advanced training. You got what was expected.”

“What was expected?!” The black-furred warrior screeches at him, mew shrill with rage in a way that makes his tufted ears throb in pain. In a strange way, it reminds him of Jayfeather's unholy screams, though he can’t exactly pinpoint why. “I expected to actually learn to swim!”

Lionblaze remains silent, only giving a look that says: _“And you expected to learn from an evil kit-murderer how to paddle your legs, hmm?”_

The message was well-received.

Unfortunately for him, he got a rather physical response.

When Hawkfrost happens upon them, they’re tussling around on the black dust – no claws out, though Lionblaze is sure that his Windclan friend would love to demonstrate those at this point. The dead tabby sits on his haunches, watching them, as they are too absorbed in their fray to notice him calmly washing his ears as they hurl insults and blows and bites.

“Frog-spawn!”

“Rabbit-breath!”

“Sludge-eater!”

“Oh, you’re one to talk, Slimepelt!”

The huge tabby thrashes a frustrated paw upon his face once. Oi, the kits these days…

“ENOUGH!” He slams a set of claws to the ground, causing blue dust to fly from the thump.

Both toms leap up with shocked _mrrows_.

“You two,” The icy gaze chills both of them to the core. “Were dismissed. You should have gone to the sleeping valley with the others.”

Lionblaze has enough sense to clamp his jaws shut, however, Breezepelt looks more indignant than ever as he eyes their mentor venomously.

“I didn’t want to sleep in filth!”

“Nobody asked you what you wanted.” Hawkfrost remains stern, claws sliding into the crumbly soil. “You must return punctually. About now, I’d say.”

“I don’t give a fox’s tail what you say,” Breezepelt hisses, and the warning touch from Lionblaze’s tail is knocked off. “You’re not the boss of me! If I want to roam before sleeping, then leave me to do so in peace!”

Every vein in Lionblaze’s body is wriggling in anxiety when the dead tabby leans downwards, meeting both of their gazes in one frigid glare. He still manages to somehow edge half-way in front of the black-furred tom protectively, because even if his friend is terrible at gratitude and basic manners, he doesn’t want him to die over his thoughtless words.

“Oh really?”

“Yes, really!” The Windclan warrior spits. As if he hasn’t bungled up the situation enough.

No other response comes.

The last thing Lionblaze sees are the two glowing orbs swinging at him before blackness cloaks him in silence.

\---

Waking up, the first thing he sees is the black paw prodding him into consciousness.

He’s in his warm nest, no longer in the Dark Forest. Starclan, hopefully Hawkfrost didn’t kill the Windclan warrior.

“Breeze…?” His drowsy mumble wavers with urgency.

“Lion, get up!” Hollyleaf’s mew is on the brink of a scold. “You’ve slept all morning, and Dad wants us to go on the afternoon border patrol!”

 _It’s her paw_ , he realizes when he fully pries his eyes open. He’s still fighting sleepiness when her gaze drops to the wounds marring his golden pelt.

“Lion… what happened to you?”

“Nothing,” He pushes himself up, somewhat anticipating the patrol – perhaps there’d be some assurance that Breezepelt was still alive. “Let’s just go, alright?”

She’s clearly still curious, but she nods, because never once does Hollyleaf want to be late for something as important as a patrol. Stumbling outside of the warriors’ den, he sees Brambleclaw and the rest of the cats waiting near the exit to camp.

“Well, good morning, sleepy-fuzz.” The brown tabby mews good-naturedly, once Lionblaze and Hollyleaf are beside him. “Was wondering when you were going to finally get up. Honestly, I suppose it did take your sister to wake you!”

“What do you mean about that?” Lionblaze replies, sun-colored eyes narrowing.

They begin on their way when the deputy beckons the cats behind them with his tail, marigold eyes remaining warm on his son.

“Yeah, I came to wake you up a little earlier, but you were sleeping like a stone. I even got away with washing your face a little and you just… didn’t move. Almost thought you were dead; you were breathing so slowly!” Concern flashes in Brambleclaw’s gaze now. “Perhaps you should start retiring earlier?”

Lionblaze tears his gaze away from his father to uncertainly glare at the grass. He thought he was… _dead?_ Perhaps he was just sleeping heavily. That fighting had taken a lot out of him last night…

It doesn’t help that Hollyleaf looks so worried beside him too. He leans over to lap at her cheek, grinning at her squeak of protest.

“Stop looking so serious all the time, Hol!”

“H-hey!” She manages to splutter, pretending to nip back. “Cut it out, fluff-for-brains!”

“Both of you cut it out,” Brambleclaw says quickly, gaze pointing past the border. “Look. Windclan patrol.”

_Windclan patrol? Windclan patrol! How wonderfully convenient!_

He nearly knocks Hollyleaf over in his attempt to get closer to the border, amber eyes scanning the cats approaching desperately.

Lionblaze doesn’t see Breezepelt right away, but he spots the next best thing. Or worst thing. Probably the latter, because it was Nightcloud on this patrol. That she-cat didn’t seem to like Thunderclan one bit, but he had to know about his friend’s well-being before the opportunity slipped away.

 _Ugh…_ it’d be so awkward to ask, especially in front of his Clanmates, but…

“Hi there!” He grins at them once they’re close.

Multiple glares and bewildered stares impale him then, but he keeps his focus on the chartreuse one that pierces him the hardest.

“How are you today?” Lionblaze chokes out a purr to Nightcloud. “Having a good time on your patrol?”

The Windclan patrol and his Clanmates behind him are staring at him as if he’d grown a squirrel head on his shoulder. Starclan, he needed to get to the point, and fast, but it’d be weird to simply start by blurting out a question about the warrior’s son.

 _Scratch that._ This couldn’t get more awkward.

He gets no answer back, only a threatening glare from her.

Nervous sweat tickles his pawpads, but he continues.

“How’s your, uh, son? Breezepelt? Have you seen him yet today?”

Nightcloud’s green eyes widen in surprise.

Probably because nobody ever asks about Breezepelt. Especially a Thunderclanner.

“H-he’s… fine…”

“That’s great, but like… you’ve seen him this morning? And you can guarantee that he’s totally…” _If he asks if Breezepelt’s dead, it’d sound like a threat, wouldn’t it?_ “Okay? Like, totally fine?”

“Y-yes…” Her eyes narrow. “Why do you ask?”

“Yeah, why does he ask?” Ashfoot grumbles from the front.

“I’d like to know that too.” Brambleclaw huffs, shooting Lionblaze a confused look.

“Oh, well, you see… uh… ever since we fell into the mud that time, we’ve been keeping in touch at Gatherings and stuff!” Lionblaze quickly says. A wave of pride floods over him for a heartbeat at how legitimate it sounds. “Yep, sometimes I just worry about him is all. Never know when there may be another hole just waiting to grip him in its clutches, you know?”

Nightcloud’s expression is strange after that, a cross between bewilderment and sorrow.

Oh dear Starclan on the clouds, what has he done-

“You understand!” She blubbers out finally, cold exterior melted away as a fresh tear trickles down her face. “You get what I have to worry about all of the time!”

“Oh… well, I mean, it’s just concern. I wouldn’t be a good friend if I didn’t worry a little…” He lies, or is it a lie, because at night he always worries about where Breezepelt’s sharp tongue will get him in the deadly Forest.

“That is the sweetest thing,” Nightcloud purrs, an entirely different cat from how Lionblaze typically views her. “I’ll tell him you asked.”

Thank Stars there’s a cat for her to tell and Hawkfrost didn’t beat him to a literal pulp…

In front of her, Ashfoot only rolls her eyes.

“Let’s go… don’t have time for all of this…”

The golden tom nods to the black-furred she-cat, but it probably looks as awkward as he currently feels. Nevertheless, she gives a pleased, wordless mewl in reply.

Once the Windclan patrol leaves, the Thunderclan one is still staring at him in shock.

“I never knew you were friends with Breezepelt like that!” Hollyleaf hisses to him, as if she thinks that she knows everything about her brothers.

News flash, she doesn’t, but Lionblaze is waiting to tell her about the Dark Forest training later. Much later. Maybe elders having apprentices peel the bugs off of them later.

He only forces a smile at her.

“Um, yeah. We just try not to talk when anybody’s around is all…” He meets Brambleclaw’s gaze next, which is still filled with questions and concern. “Really. We get along.”

“…Well, try to keep your friendships with cats from other Clans in the list of things you tell your father next time.” Brambleclaw leans close to murmur before glancing back. “Come on! We don’t have time to dawdle, now!”

The patrol resumes a brisk pace. Lionblaze avoids the stares by once again focusing on his trotting paws.

He’d better get a thank you from Breezepelt for all of this. Because he certainly didn’t humiliate himself for nothing.


	2. Care from Nowhere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once again, Breeze is complain-y.

The next night at the Dark Forest, Lionblaze enters with a seed of concern already planted in his stomach. Hollyleaf saw to it that he went to rest a little earlier, so he doesn’t see a lot of cats initially. He spots the mentors mewing things amongst themselves over the bodies of the cats fazing into the sleeping place, demonstrating blows to each other with outstretched claws and boisterous laughs. The golden tabby curls his lip, putting his head onto his paws.

They weren’t great mentors, but at least they were better than Ashfur was. If his training had been solely in the speckled tom’s paws, he’d still be napping away in the apprentices’ den.

More cats were fazing in, opening their eyes. A few were chatting in small clusters.

He closes his eyes, heaving out a sleepy breath. They probably had a few more minutes before training begun. He could sneak in a little nap…

The Thunderclan cat barely gets in a snore before a foot kicks against his back, startling him from the familiar dark of sleep. Lionblaze snaps his head up, glancing around. No one was nearby.

“Clumsy furballs.” He flops his head down.

“I don’t take too well to insults, you know.” A head peers into his face, upside down, and honey-colored eyes blink into his.

Lionblaze shrieks, scuttling out from under the black tom. Breezepelt snickers at him.

“What? Scared you?”

“Can never take a good nap around here, can I?” The golden tom recollects himself, padding over to cuff the large ear in retaliation. “And what are you doing here so early, huh?”

“Had some little scratches; Mama got worried about them. Sent me to get some sleepy time!” The black tom rolls onto his friend’s Dark Forest nest constructed of black moss and green, glowing mushrooms, purring loudly. “She was talking about you too. How I have such a ‘nice and caring buddy and I should make friends like that more often’.” The amber eyes narrowed. “What did you do?”

“Just…” A shameful flush glowed from beneath Lionblaze’s thick pelt, and he looked away, at the blood red sky. “It doesn’t matter.”

The glare sharpened, reminding him a little of Hollyleaf’s sharp gaze. Lionblaze winced.

“Fine, I was just… I wanted to know if you were alive is all. Thought Hawkfrost might’ve gotten you or something stupid like that….”

Breezepelt sat up, hind leg lifting to scratch at his ear.

“You underestimate me, Blaze.” He squinted over at the tabby. “I can fend for myself.”

“…Can you though?”

A set of claws flashes a hair away from his velvety nose, followed by a rough shove with another paw. Lionblaze stumbles back, admittedly a tiny bit stunned. Breezepelt calmly drags his tongue over his left paw, and slowly trails the back of it down his cheek. He coughs, letting his own claws slide out.

“Hey, I wasn’t ready!”

“ _A good warrior_ ,” Breezepelt echoes from one of their training sessions within the maze of trees. “ _Is always ready_.”

Lionblaze lowers his head, golden fur flopping into his eyes. The black-furred tom circles him, a playful grin flicking upwards on his muzzle.

“It’s not that you’re a bad fighter, Blaze – you just need to expect danger at every turn. From anyone.”

“That’s ridiculous. Anyone?”

“Anyone.” Breezepelt confirms, pausing to crouch defensively in front of the larger tom. “Your littermates, your parents, your Clanmates… always be aware of everything.”

Lionblaze drops into a hunting crouch as well, showing his teeth in a snarl.

“Just don’t you try anything again.”

“Don’t let your guard down again.” The Windclan cat retorts. “Talking about I can’t fend for myself… nearly got your face scratched off!”

“Alright, fine, I’m sorry I said that. But still,” Lionblaze tilts his head imploringly. “The best warriors need protection, don’t they?”

The honey-colored eyes glance at him, wide in surprise, before Breezepelt laughs, nudging him.

“Sure.”

Lionblaze has little time to revel in the warm affection this brings to him, for a splotched she-cat breaks from the rest of the mentors and leaps onto a dead tree propped up by a rock.

“Give me your feeble attention, you fluff-filled, over-pampered dung-eaters!” Mapleshade leaps up onto the black log, slits of amber eyes glowing at the trainees. “We’ll scale these trees, and do some tree combat.”

On Lionblaze’s right, Breezepelt fluffs up indignantly, and as usual does nothing to hide his obvious displeasure.

“Like we’re Tree-clan cats… first it’s drowning in a river and now this nonsense! I swear, these jokers are trying to kill us each heartbeat they get…”

“You’ll be fine,” The golden tabby pats the Windclan cat’s back with his tail, rolling his eyes when Breezepelt recoiled with a low hiss of frustration. “Look, it could be worse.”

“Considering how they are, I guess you’re right.” The honey-colored gaze drifts to the tiny mushrooms sprouting from the cracked earth.

Lionblaze raises his head, gazing over the crowd of cats to see who’s going first. Antpelt shoulders his way to the front, brown eyes gleaming eagerly.

“I want to go!” The Windclan cat mews to the ancient she-cat.

“…He stupid.” Breezepelt sat back on his haunches, already finished with the entire ordeal. “He goin’ die.”

“Will you shut it?!” Alarm sparking, Lionblaze whisper-screeches. “You’re going to get us beat up!”

“Don’t say I didn’t try to tell you.”

The Thunderclan warrior flicks an ear in annoyance, willing himself to ignore Breezepelt’s words for the most part. In this world, nothing bad could happen to them. _These were dead cats, and if they were in the world of the dead, how could the living get hurt? That was how things worked, wasn’t it?_

A reminder of the scratches and bruises he’d mysteriously gains in the living world while he sleeps popped into his mind then. Suddenly, Breezepelt’s words squeezed down on his shoulders, cold worry swimming in his stomach. If one of them were to fall… that would be it if they couldn’t catch themselves.

He doesn’t know why, but he instinctively shifts closer to the other tom, a protective growl blooming in his chest.

“Just be careful.” The golden tom mumbles, forcing his gaze away from the bristling warrior beside him. “Don’t do anything you’ll regret.”

There’s a concerned undertone in his mew, and he’s praying that his friend doesn’t notice. But Breezepelt only mutters something else, and they awkwardly return to waiting their turns in wordlessness.


End file.
